Grants & Awards: LGRMIF: Reporting Guidelines:

FS-10-A Proposed Amendment for a Federal or State Project --
The Amendment Process

Submit one signed original (blue ink)

Request a budget amendment when

• Project expenditures in any budget category will exceed the approved level of funding by more than ten percent or $1,000, whichever is greater.
  
  
• A project's budget total cannot be increased and the project's activities cannot be extended past July 31, 2010 through the budget amendment process.

You don't need to submit an amendment form if the budget changes it proposes fall within a single budget category (such as purchasing different supplies than originally requested).

• However, do submit a letter to the Archives' Grants Administration and Program Support unit detailing the change. The Archives will then have a record of the change and be able to verify that this change does not run counter to the decisions of the grant reviewers and State Education Department (SED) guidelines.

In order to be approved, a budget amendment request must:

• Indicate that the local government has discussed the amendment with the appropriate Regional Advisory Officer (RAO) and that the RAO endorses the need for the amendment.
  
  
• Indicate by how much the amendment proposes to increase a particular budget code and by how much it proposes to decrease a particular budget code. The amount of the award cannot be increased.
  
  
• Be accompanied by a cover letter indicating the positions, items and/or services that will be affected by the amendment request.
  • This letter must explain why the proposed budget amendment is necessary to successfully complete the project and to realize the intended results of the application as approved.
    
    
• Be postmarked no later than June 1, 2010.

Prior approval is the essential component of the budget amendment process. Local governments should be sure that SED has approved any budget changes before making program changes, purchases, or contracting for services based on the amendment.